- The first few times you run one of these your primary goal is survival.

- Watch the rest of the team and make what you're doing fit in. Going rogue and trying to do everything yourself does not work.

- There will be people in PUGs who will troll and whine about what you're doing. While learning how to successfully complete these missions, it is probably best to work them with Fleet mates and people you know. As we are constantly reminded here, please don't feed the trolls

- Accept the fact now that you are going to do something really dumb during one of these.

- Accept the fact now that you're going to get killed in one of these. Sometimes multiple times.

- You will acquire damage by being killed. Stock up on Repair/Regenerator components so this damage doesn't reduce your effectiveness after you respawn.

- Let the Optional remain just that - Optional. If your team does well enough to make the Optional, then Great! But don't expect to achieve the Optional every time. Even experienced players which are part of well rehearsed teams have bad luck sometimes. Don't let the Optional become the sole reason for playing STFs.

- Saved the best for last. Don't get so tied up in doing STFs 'the right way' you forget to have fun and enjoy yourself. STO is a game. A game based on subject matter and characters I personally have been addicted to nearly all my life. But STO is still just entertainment.(WHAT?! Blasphemy! Burn this heretic! Naow!)

Playing the STFs well is personally very satisfying. Takes a while and some luck to become 'that guy that everyone wants to do STFs with'. Stressing out excessively over STFs is not fun. Playing the STFs poorly is something everyone does the first few times. You can always try again in about an hour or so.